On April 30, 1863, Sarah Thompson Garnet made history by becoming the first African American woman principal in the New York City public school system. A dedicated educator and activist, Garnet led the African Free School and later Grammar School No. 4, advocating for academic excellence and racial uplift. Her appointment during the Civil War era was a groundbreaking achievement—not only for Black educators but for the growing fight for women’s rights and racial equality. Garnet later founded the Equal Suffrage League, one of the first organizations in New York dedicated to Black women’s voting rights, cementing her legacy as both a pioneer in education and a voice for justice.
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